Environment
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The Lagos State government has shut down 53 churches, mosques and hotels over noise pollution
| By Anayo Ezugwu | Dec 28, 2015 @ 01:00 GMT |
THE Lagos state government is serious about reducing noise pollution in the state, especially those emanating from churches, mosques and hotels in Lagos. The Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency, LASEPA, recently, sealed off more than 53 churches, mosques and hotels across the state. The agency said the worship centres and hotels were causing noise pollution and other environmental nuisances.
Confirming the development, Adebola Shabi, general manager, LASEPA, said the agency received lots of complaints from residents and neighbours about the nuisance constituted by the premises shut by the agency. “In recent times, most of the petitions kept coming back to us. It was as if we are not working at all. That was why we shut the premises.”
He explained that some of the affected facilities had been served abatement notices before the eventual closure, adding that the growing rate of worship centres in the state calls for serious regulations, especially in the area of noise pollution across the state. According to him, some of the worship centres polluting the neighbourhood with noise are usually makeshift structures that do not have government approval.
“You cannot have makeshift structure and say you want to be conducting services or night vigils there. Definitely, you will be disturbing your neighbours. So, the government won’t allow the use of makeshift as a church or mosque,” he said.
According to Shabi, nobody is allowed to make noise above 55 decibel during the day in residential areas and only 45 decibel is allowed in such areas at night. He explained that in the industrial areas, 90 decibel of noise is allowed during the day while the noise rate must not exceed 80 decibel at night in such areas.
The LASEPA boss added that the compliance level was increasing, saying that more residents now understand the effect of noise. He noted that some of the religious houses also complying with the noise pollution regulations, pointing out that the hotels were shut for failing to conduct and submit Environmental Impact Assessment report about their premises. He warned that the state government would not condone improper disposal of sewage and usage of bad toilet facilities.
Noise pollution has become a challenge for residents in various parts of Lagos. Residents in various parts of the metropolis have to cope with noise pollution emanating from worship and viewing centres, barbing salons, record shops, promotional campaigns, ice cream sellers, commercial motorists and other business ventures. The development which has triggered some rifts in some neighbourhoods has also attracted the attention of the government.
In 2012, the Lagos State government shutdown some branches of the Redeemed Christian Church of God and Mountain of Fire Ministries located in Ojo because of noise pollution. Although the churches were later reopened following the intervention of some religious leaders in the state, there was a stern warning to the pastors of the churches to reduce the noise they produce by removing the speakers placed outside their church buildings.
The warning was followed with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between officials of the Lagos chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, and the LASEPA. In the memoranda, CAN agreed that churches under its umbrella should remove external loud speakers from their places of worship in order not to disturb public peace. But one year after that agreement, many churches are yet to comply. In various parts of the state, there are churches constituting nuisance through loud speakers placed outside their worship centres.
In May 2013, LASEPA shut down two churches and six companies over cases of noise pollution in various parts of the state. The agency shut the affected places after serving them abatement notices, which they failed to obey. The agency also embarked on a sensitisation campaign to educate people.
Shabi had in 2013 said even though many organisations were yet to comply with the directives, the agency was doing its best to solve the problem. “We have been educating and sensitising these religious houses on how they should manage noise. We went round to inform people that every area has its acceptable sound level which must be observed. For example, during the day residential areas are not to exceed 55 decibels and 45 decibels at night. As for churches and mosques, we asked them to enclose their spaces and pull down those speakers outside.”
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